Kit for detecting Alzheimer's disease

Methods for screening individuals for Alzheimer's disease are disclosed. Also disclosed are antibodies that immunochemically react with the isoforms of calcium-activated neutral proteinases which are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are methods for screening drugs which are useful in treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

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Claims

1. A kit which is useful for detecting Alzheimer's disease in an individual suspected of having the disease, comprising a carrier means having in close confinement therein multiple container means, wherein

a first container means contains a first detectable antibody that is immunoreactive with the 80-kDa isoform of.mu.CANP, and is not immunoreactive with the 76-kDa and 78-kDa isoforms of.mu.CANP,
a second container means contains a second detectable antibody that is immunoreactive with the 76-kDa, 78-kDa and 80-kDa isoforms of.mu.CANP, and
further container means, wherein said further container means contain a standard serial dilution of the 76-kDa, 78-kDa, and 80-kDa isoforms in solution, sufficient to prepare standard curves for use in measuring the concentrations of the 76-kDa, 78-kDa and 80-kDa isoforms in a sample in order to calculate the ratio of the 76-kDa isoform to the 80-kDa isoform.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein said first and second detectable antibodies are detectably labelled with different labels that can be discriminated on detection.

3. The kit of claim 1, further comprising a container means which contains a means for separating the 76-kDa, 78-kDa, and 80-kDa isoforms of.mu.CANP.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
5134062 July 28, 1992 Blass
Foreign Patent Documents
WO 93/02106 February 1993 WOX
Other references
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Patent History
Patent number: 5928885
Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 23, 1996
Date of Patent: Jul 27, 1999
Assignee: The McLean Hospital Corporation (Belmont, MA)
Inventors: Ralph A. Nixon (Arlington, MA), Ken-Ichi Saito (Yokahama)
Primary Examiner: Paula K. Hutzell
Assistant Examiner: Patricia A. Duffy
Law Firm: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, P.L.L.C.
Application Number: 8/681,375